Garment-supporting device



Sept. 16, 1930.

A. LEVI NE GARMENT SUPPORT ING DEVICE Filed Sept. 8, 1928 INVENT 62AMVBY I ATTORN EY Patented Sept. 16, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICEABRAHAM. LEVINE, OI ELIZABETH, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO PRESTO LOOKCORPORA- TION, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORKGARMENT-SUPPORTING- DEVICE Application filed September 8, 1928. SerialNo. 304,689.

My present invention relates generally to supporting devices, and hasparticular reference to a garment-supporting device designed primarilyfor use in connection with the wall of a suitcase, trunk, or the like.

Although I have herein illustrated andshall hereinafter describe myinvention as applied specifically to the wall of a suitcase,nevertheless it will be understood that as to 1 certain phases of myinvention it is not limited to such an employment.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide a garment-supportingdevice in the nature of a rung or the like, which rung is mounted withrespect to the suitcase wall in a manner whereby the rung may be movedtoward and away from said wall. In this way, access to the rung isfacilitated when garments are to be applied or' withdrawn therefrom, andat the same time the rung is adapted to be moved into a normal positionin close proximity to the wall for pur oses of allowing the packedsuitcase to be c osed with the garment or garments efliciently sup- 26ported therein.

More particularly, it is an object to provide a rung in combination withmeans for so mounting it as to permit reciprocation of the rung paralleltoitself and parallel to the 30 wall toward and away from the latter.

\ A more specific object of my invention lies in providing an eflicientyet simple and compact mount ng means composed of a minimum of elementsadapted to cooperate in a simple and staunch manner and designed tooccupy a minimum amount of space.

Another object of my invention lies in providing means for permittingthe rung to be locked in a removable manner in relatively closeproximity to the wall, thereby assuring the neat and efficientaccommodation and packing of a supported garment within the suitcase.

One feature of my invention lies in so providing the locking means thata salient portion thereof is constituted of the mounting means itself.In the embodiment herein specifically described and illustrated, themounting means includes a slotted element associated with the wall, anda pair of mutually riveted cooperating links; and the locking means isarranged to permit cooperation beagainst accidental displacement in avariety of positions depending upon the requirements called for byvarying degrees of packing.

In general, it is an ob ect to provide a device of the charactermentioned which is extremely simple, rugged and compact, ofunobjectionable appearance and arrangement within the suitcase andoperable with great facility.

For the attainment of the foregoing objects and'such other objects asmay hereinafter appear or be pointed out, I have illustrated two formsof my invention in the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is afront elevational view of a garment-supporting device of the presentcharacter associated with the wall of a suitcase and shown in normalposition;

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially along the line2-2 of Figure 1 and showing the garment device in its withdrawnposition; the dot and dash lines indicating intermediate relativepositions of certain parts;

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 showing the relative dispositionsof the parts when the device is in the normal position of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially along the line4-4 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view upon an enlarged scale takensubstantially along the line55 of Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a fragmentary view taken in the direction of Figures 2 and 3and' showing a modified form of one of the elements of the mountingmeans; and

Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially along the line 77of Figure"6.

.I have shown a garment-supporting device in association with a wall 10of a suitcase or the like, the wall 10. comprising the periph- 1 IIIeral flanges 11, 12, and 13. A rung 14 extends between the flanges 11and 13 and is substantially parallel to the wall 10. His provided at itsopposite ends with ferrules 15 or the like, the latter providinglaterally projecting pins which facilitate the mounting of the rung 14between two arms 16 and 17.

Inasmuch as the mounting means is identical on both sides of Figure 1,reference will be had to only one side thereof, it being understood thatthe mechanism isduplicated on the opposite side.

The arm 16 is attached at one end 18 to one end of the rung 14. In thepresent case, the end 18 is resiliently constructed whereby the rung 14is removably clamped in africtional manner between the arms 16 and 17The opposite end of the arm 16 is provided with a pin 19 extendingtoward the flange 11, said pin. being in engagement with the slot 20 ofa slotted member 21 attached to the flange 11.

The arms 16 and 17 are connected by a suitable strut 22 which constrainssaid arms to move in unison.

A link 23 is pivoted at its opposite ends respectively with the flange11' and with a midportion of the arm 16. More particularly, the end 24of the link 23 is pivoted to the flange 11 at a point substantially inalignment with the normal position of the rung 14; and the opposite end25 of the link 23 is pivoted as by means of a rivet 26 to a midportionof the arm 16.

The slot 20 is arranged in substantial parallelism with respect to thewall 10, i. e., in substantial alignment with the pivot associated withthe end 24 of the link 23. In this way, the midportion of'the arm 16 isconstrained to move alon an are having its center at said last-mentlonedpivot, while the free end 'of the arm 16 (the end carrying the pin 19)is constrained to move in a direction radial with respect to said are.Stated otherwise, the arm 16 is constrained to reciprocate between twopositions which define a letter T, the arm 16 occupying the positionwhich corresponds to the stem of the T, in Figure 2.

Reference to Figures 2 and 3 will clearly disclose the nature of therelative movements. In Figure 3 the rung 14 is in normal position and itis to be noted that the arm 16 and the link 23 are in substantialsuperposition, parallel to one another and to the slot 20. Extremecompactness is thereby efl'ected.

When the rung 14 is grasped at a midportion thereof and drawn outwardlyfrom the wall 10, the arm 16 moves into the ultimate position shown inFigure 2. The pin 19 has remained in engagement with the slot 20 and isnow at the upper end of said slot. At the same time, the midportion ofthe arm 16 has been constrained to move throu h an dire, such constraintbein effected by the swinging of the link 23 om its initial position tothe outwardly extending position shown drawn from between the arms 16and 17 to enhance the facility with which garments ma be applied orwithdrawn.

ne of the features of my invention lies in providing means forautomatically causing the rung 14 to lock in a yieldable and removablemanner in the normal position of- Figures 1 and 3. I accomplish this byproviding complementary latching members, one of which is movable withthe rung and the other of which is relatively stationary. In theillustrated embodiment, I have made use of the rivet 26 and the slottedmember 21.

Referring to Figures 2, 4, and 5 it will be noted that themarginal wallsof the slot 20 are deflected outwardly. This deflection renders suchwalls somewhat yieldableand resilient and also positions the front wall27 in the path of the rear head 28 of the rivet 26. As a result,movement of the rung 14 from the position of Figure 2 to the position ofFigure 3 will cause the head 28 to encounter the wall 27. The arm willat that time be substantially in the dot and dash position of Figure 2.A slight pressure will thereupon force the head 28 over the wall 27, andthe head 28 will thereupon snap into the position of Figures 4 and 5..In this position, the frictional engagement between the head 28 and theopposite walls of the slot 20 will serve to hold the arm 16 (and alsothe link 23) in the normal, superposed relationship of Figure 3.Withdrawal of the rung 14 from. 7 the position of Figure 3 to theposition of Figure 2 necessitates a slightly increased initial pull towithdraw the head 28.

In Figures 6 and 7 I have illustrated a modification wherein the rung 14may be yieldably locked in a similar manner in any selected one of aplurality of positions. In Figure 6 I have illustrated a slotted member21 provided with a slot 20' whose opposite marginal wall portions 27 and29 are outwardly deflected in a similar manner. The forward edge 20 ofthe member 21 is provided with the outwardly disposed yieldable tab 31,and the rear edge 32-of the member 21' is provided with theoutwardly-deflected abutment 33.

The elements 31 and 33 are path of the rivet head 28. As a result, suchrivet head will be yieldably retained in any one of three positions asshown most clearly in Figure 7. In full lines, in Figure 7, I have shownthe head 28 in engagement with the slot 20, this position correspondingto the normal position illustrated in Figure 5. In dot and dash lines Ihave shown the head 28 in the two other possible positions. The one atthe left illustrates the head 28 yieldably retained between the portion27' and the tab 31. The position at the right shows the head28 yieldablyretained between the por-" tion 29 and the abutment 33. Thus, if therung is made to support an excessive number of garments, it may bepushed back toward the wall until the head 28- is in the left-handposition. Normal garment accommodation will enable the head 28 toposition itself in the full-line position of Figure 7, and a relativelysmall amountof garment support will permit the head 28 to assume theright-hand position of Figure 7.

It will be obvious that changes in the details herein described andillustrated for the purpose of explaining the nature of my in ventlonmay be made by those skilled in the art without departing from thespirit and scope of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.It is therefore intended that these details be interpreted asillustrative, and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention and illustrated its use, what I claimas new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is 1. A garment supportingattachment for a trunk or the like, comprising assemblies to be attachedto opposite walls, each. assembly comprising a bracket plate adapted tobe fixedly secured to a wall and having a vertically directed slot inits lower half, a link pivoted at one end to the upper portion of thebracket, an arm pivoted intermediate its ends to the lower end of thelink and having one of its free ends slidably received in said slot andhaving its other end bent outwardly so as to form a yieldable portion toreceive one end of a hanger bar.

2. A garment supporting attachment for a trunk or the like, comprisingassemblies to. be attached to opposite walls, each assembly comprising abracket plate adapted to be. fixedly secured to a wall and having avertically directed slot in its lower half, a link pivoted at one end tothe upper portion of the bracket, an arm pivoted intermediate its endsto the lower end of the link and having one of its free ends slidablyreceived in said slot and having its other end bent outwardly so as toyieldably receive one end of a hanger bar and having a laterallyprojecting flange to form a support for a cross bar.

3. A garment supporting attachment for a trunk or the like, comprisingassemblies to be attached to opposite walls each assembly comprising abracket plate adapted to be fixedly secured to a wall and havin avertically directed slot in its lower hal a link pivoted at one end tothe upper portion of the bracket plate, an arm having its lower endslidably received in the aforementioned slot, a pin pivotally securingthe other end of the link to an intermediate portion of the arm,said'pivot pin being adapted to be received in said aforementioned slotwhen the link and'lever are in superimposed registration, to normallyretain the parts against accidental movement.

4:- A garment supporting attachment for a trunk or the like, comprisingassemblies to be attached to opposite walls each assembly comprising abracket plate adapted to be fixedly secured to a wall and havin a ver.tically directed slot in its lower hal a link pivoted at one end tothe. upper portion of the bracket plate, an arm having its lower endslidably received in the aforementioned slot and having its upperportionbent outwardly to form a yieldable end for receiving one end of ahanger bar, apin pivotally securing the other end of the link to anintermediate portion of the arm, said pivot pin being adapted to bereceived in said aforementioned slot when the link and the arm are insuperimposed registration, to normally retain the parts againstaccidental movement.

In witness whereof I have si ed this specification this 6 da of Septemer, 1928.

ABIl AHAM LEVDTE.

